Electric railway-siqnal



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' s. '0. HENDRIOKSON.

v ELBGTRIG RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 276,038. ted Apr. 17,1883.

awvewtoz (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' S. G. HENDRIGKSON.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

ed A r. 17,1883.

Pate

Stephen aflewzbizson,

By 7715- Afforne fl fi WITNESSES waxw,

' UN1TE1 STATES PATENT OFFICE,

STEPHEN c. HENDRIOKSON, F BROOKLYN, N. Y, ASSIGNOR are THE Union swm'on AND SIGNAL ooMP'AnY, on rnrrssunc, PENNSYLVANIA.

* 'ELECTRIC RAILWAY -SIGNAL.

srncrmonr'ron a ming part of Letters Patent No. 276,038, dated Application filed May 13, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN 0. HENDRICK- SON, a citizen of the United States, and a resi. dent of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railway- Signals,.of which the following is a specification The object of my invention is to provide a series ct semaphoric or visual signals placed at suitable intervals along the line of a railroadin such manner that a signal denoting "danger will beantomaticailyexhibited by the passage of each train, and win remain visible and in a position denoting that the track is obstructed until the train which actuated it has passed under-the protection of the next succeeding signal of the sries,-.wheu the first mentioned danger-signal will be withdrawn or reversed, or otherwise made to indicate that the track is clear. By this means a train following another upon the same cantloned,'and thus prevented from approaching too closely to the preceding train,or com-. ing in collision with it. This general system' of signals is termed space system. 1

Myinvention relates to apparatus and mechs anism which is operated by electromagnetism,

an automatic block or and is employed in carrying out the ahove-described system.

a The invention consists in certain improved methods of combiningand arranging the cirsuit-closer, conductors, batteries, signals, and signal-operating mechanism, whereby greater efiiciency 'nnd'economy of operation are secured, and any accidental. interruption or failare to operate on the part of the electrical portion of the apparatus will be instantig indicated. Y

The combinations of mechanism. and apparates which constitute the novel features of th-ainventicn will he hereinafter articula'rly the c aims at the v s In the accompanying drawings, which rep resent the hestmcans of carrying out my in- 'vention now known to me, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the visual signal and signal-sch hating mechanism. Fig. 2 isan elevatien, on a neduced scale, of thecese or hos within which segments d d are assumed to indicate safety, and the shaded segments d d are assumed to track may be mounted an electro-magnet, M, the armature April 17, 1883.

the signal is placed. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the various positions assumed by the signal-disk and Ei g. 4is a theoretical diagram illustrating the arrangement of the-electric circuits in connection with the railroad-track, whereby all signals are actuated in connection with the moving of the trains along said track,

Referring to Fig. 1, D represents the signaldisk, which may conveniently be made thirty or forty inches in diameter,more or less, and is preferablyconstructed of some thin and light material. The signal-disk is divided into four equal segments of alternately-contrnstin g col .ors-suchyfor example, as white and red, or white and hlack -onecolor, when exhibited,indicati'ng safety and theothcr color .dangerfi For the purposes of this description the white indicate danger. The diskD is caused to 1'0 into, when required, in the'direction indicated by the arrow, by means of a weight attached to the cord 0, which is wound upon the drum 0. This is mounte upon the axis of a toothed wheel, 0, which engages with apinion upon the shaft D, upon which the signal-disk D ismounted. The weight may be wound up,w hen required, by applying a key to the end of the arbor, K. e 89- Upon the main signal-shaft D is fixed;'a scape-wheel, F, having eight teeth. situated alternately in two planes. The scape-wheelie held in check by an oscillating anchor, B, of well-known construction, which permits one tooth of the scape-wheelto pass at each vibration, whether forward or backward.

Upon the frame A, which supports the siguni-disk and its attached mechanism, is also of which-is attached to. a' pivoted lever, B, having a fork at'its upper end, which acts upon the downwardly-projecting arm b of the anchor B. The piv ted armature-lever Bis provided with an justable retractor, m, of the usual construction. Thus it'will be nn-' derstocd that the disk Dtends. to revolve in the direction indicated by the ariow, whenever. permitted to do so by the action of thees'oape ment mechanism under the control of theel'ed. to: tro-magnet M.

-.lhe apparatus is represented in Fig. 1 in block, signifying safety, and showing that circuit of the elastic-magnet M being broken by the armaturedever a during the time occupied by the train in passing over the circuitcloser T I and by reason of this breaking and closing the signal-disk advances through another quarter of its revolution, thus restor ingitsindicetion to safety. Thusitwill be understoodthat the indications of the signal, whether for danger "or forsafety,can only be exhibited when an electric cu rrentis traversing the electro-magnet M. So long as the circuit remains interrupted the signal-disk will be held at a point, half-way between the two regular indications, and the indication will appear part of one color and part of the other. The successive indications -of the signal, as exhibited thr'oughthe openings g y in the signalboir, are represented in Fig. 3, in which the first shows the normal or safety indication the second the indication while the train is passing the circuit-closer T T the third the indication of danger whichremains while the train is passing through the signal section or block; the fourth the indication while it is.

passing the circuit-closer T T, and the fifth the indication after it has passed beyond the the block is clear between the two sig n'al-stations; 4

The organization of circuits and apparatus which has been described is that which is best adapted for use upon the line of a don ble-truok railroad, or where the trains upon the track always pass in the same direction. in order to adapt the apparatus for nsein connection with a track" upon which the trains run in both directions, the only modification which is necessary to be made is to place an additional signal at the opposite end of each signal section or block, which is actuated or controlled by an electro-magnet, M, (shown in dotted'outlines in Fig. 41,) which is placed in the same circuit with the electro-magnet M, hereinb'efore referred to. In case a continuous chain of signals' is to beextended along the line of the.

raiiroad, it is only necessary to make use of one differential relay, with its attached circuitcloser and circuit-breaker, at each signal-station, the conducting-wires being extended along each adjacent signal-section in the manner indicated by the dotted lines-l and l in Fig. 4.

slit will be observed that with the arrangementof circuits which hasbcen described the breakage of an'electric conductor or the fail ure of a battery 'at any point will cause the signal-disk to assume the position represented in the second and fourth positions, Fig. 3, thus indicating that the apparatus is out of order, in case it remains in that position any greater length. of time than that required fora train to pass over the circuit-closer at the beginning or end of the signahseetion.

It is-not essential that the particular de vice hereinbet'ore tdescribed for closing a circuit by the actionief a'nnoving train should be employed in connection with the other up parat-us. .Any circuitcloser which is so son I scribed is considered preferable.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a difierential electromagnet having one of its coils included in a normally-closed and the other in anormallyopen electric circuit, a battery or generator common to both said circuits,.a circuit-closer actuated by a moving train for closing said normally-open circuit, and a. signaling apparatus controlled by the armature of said differentiai eiectroqmagnet.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set, forth, of an electro-mag'net, a battery, two detachedinsulated sections of amechauically-bontinuous line of rails forming the respective terminals of a normally-open circuit, including: said electro-magnet and battery, and an electrically-continuous line of rails extending parallel to both insulated sections of the first line. 3, lihe combination, substantially as hereinbet'ore set forth, of a revolving shaft, a disk "mounted thereon for alternately exhibiting a danger and a safety signal, a scape-wheel attached to said shaft, an .elcctro-magnet, armature, and retractor, and pallets actuated by said armature, which are placed in such relation to .the scape-wheel and the revolving shaft that the armature must be moved away from and returned to the magnet in order to permit said shaft to revolve the proper distah'ce toconceal one signal and display a reverse one.

4. Thecombination, substantially as hereinbefore set firth, of a normally-closed electric circuit ex ending the whole length of 'a signal section or block, a circuit-breaker in said circuit at each end of the signal-section, adapted to be actuated by a moving train,

and one or more signaloperating elec'tro-ma-g;

nets included in said normally 'closed circuit.

5, The combination, substantially as hereinbcfore set forth, of a'normally-close electric circuit extending the whole lengt of a signal section or block, a circuit-breaker in said circuit at each end of 'the signal-sectiov adapted to be actuated by a moving train, on or more 'electro-magnets included in said no mallyclosed circuit, and a signaling apparatus undercontrol of said electro magnet or magnets, adapted to exhibit a danger and a safety signal in alternation, one of said signals only being exhibited at each successive completion of the circuit In. testimony whereofl have hereunto subscribed 1iny name this 8th'day of May, A, D.

STEPHEN O. HENDRIOKSOBL. Witnesses:

MELER G. EARL, Omnnns A. TERRY. 

